Things made from non-biodegradable materials and the human inclination to collect possessions contradict the concept of tempus edax rerum,time as devourer of all things.Still Life: Things Devouring Timefocuses on the visual representation of vanitas, symbolic objects that warn against excess and the shortness of time. This exhibition explores how those ideas inform the practice of contemporary artists, working in diverse media, who respond to consumer culture and the social, environmental and sustainability issues it produces today. The evolution and enduring relevance of the genre of still life is highlighted by the variety of contemporary art – photographs and objects by Nicole Keeley, Caroline McCarthy, Simon Ward and Dawn Woolley – displayed alongside historic Dutch still life paintings in this exhibition. It is co-curated by visual artist Dr Dawn Woolley (Research Fellow, Leeds Arts University), whose work explores the social value of objects in still life, from 17th-century Dutch paintings to contemporary advertising, and Dr Katie J T Herrington (Curator, Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery, University of Leeds).
Kindly supported by Leeds Arts University
Still Life: Things Devouring Time
The Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery,
University of Leeds
From 20th November 2018
To 23rd March 2019
Memorial (tongue), 2016
